TESTING A D2C FUTURE FOR AUSTRIAN FOOTBALL
The Österreichische Fußball-Bundesliga (ÖFBL) asked us to pressure test whether a league-owned, direct-to-consumer platform could work for the league. Together, we built a modelled business case, ran a technology partner search, and turned the answer into a five-block roadmap that keeps the option open for the 2029 rights cycle.
"The work on the business case was rigorous and strategically aligned. LaSource helped us to look at proper scenarios and to plan for the long term, which is exactly what we needed heading into this cycle and can now keep building on."
Christian Ebenbauer, CEO Österreichische Fußball-Bundesliga
The ÖFBL entered the 2025 media rights cycle in a difficult market, with limited broadcaster competition and growing uncertainty about the future value of domestic rights.
The question ÖFBL brought LaSource in during the process to answer one question: should we go D2C? That meant assessing what it would take to reach 2.1 million Austrian football fans directly and convert 350,000 of them into a fully owned subscriber base.
When the clubs ultimately chose to renew with the existing broadcaster, our collaboration evolved into a Fit for Future strategy for the 2029 cycle. Three phases ran in parallel during the RFP (business case and scenario modelling, the OTT technology partner search, and stakeholder navigation), with a fourth phase, the 2029 roadmap, following the clubs' decision.
CONTEXT
ÖFBL & LASOURCE
D2C BUSINESS CASE AND SCENARIO MODELLING
We built a model with the league, covering subscriber growth & conversion, pricing & ARPU sensitivity, production & technology costs, customer acquisition, and churn & retention. Then stress-tested every assumption and surfaced the operational implications behind each financial line.
OTT TECHNOLOGY PARTNER RFP
We defined the technical and operational requirements for a league-owned OTT platform, then structured and ran the vendor RFP end to end, from shortlisting and benchmarking through to evaluating. This turned the D2C scenario from a concept into something ÖFBL could execute on command.
STAKEHOLDER NAVIGATION AND DECISION SUPPORT
We supported ÖFBL through a complex, multi-club decision-making process, drawing on experience from comparable league transformations to translate the business case into clear materials for the clubs and help align sporting, political and commercial views.
FIT FOR FUTURE ROADMAP 2029
Once the clubs renewed with the previous broadcaster, the partnership moved into a long-term Fit for Future strategy for the 2029 cycle.
We designed a roadmap across five building blocks:
Tech Backbone
Data-fuelled Organisation
Commercial Revenues
Education and Club Buy-In
HR and Staffing
For each block, we set out what ÖFBL needs to be fully operational versus blueprint-ready, giving the league the organisational and operational foundations a future D2C opportunity would need.
THE RESULT
Ready when the league is
For now, ÖFBL renewed the traditional broadcast model: the risks of going D2C still outweighed the benefits.
But the league came away with more than a decision. It now holds a modelled business case it can keep iterating, plus the initiatives and capabilities to be better positioned for 2029, keeping the D2C door open rather than closed.
6-12 months
to a live D2C launch, on the league's command
5 blocks
sequenced in the Fit for Future 2029 roadmap
Production JV
since the engagement the league's own move to centralise and own its production
BEYOND BROADCAST
HOW CAN LEAGUES BUILD POWER BEFORE PLATFORMS?
Discover our deep-dive into the evolving sports media landscape.
This report is a comprehensive guide that provides a practical framework for leagues seeking operational sovereignty. It helps rights holders assess their readiness, understand the capabilities that matter most, and build the leverage required to make real choices in the cycles ahead.